Has your iPhone gotten faster this past week? You must have updated to iOS 7.1.

The recent iOS update the best one I've seen from Apple in a long time. After the disappointing iOS 7 release, this incremental update is a welcome improvement. When you upgrade to iOS 7.1, you'll notice a few minor interface tweaks, such as circular answer/decline call buttons and a bolder keyboard. These are nice changes, but they pale in comparison to the biggest improvement in iOS 7.1 – speed.

Everything is noticeably faster in iOS 7.1. I've noticed improved speeds in loading the home screen, opening applications, taking pictures, and browsing email messages. Even small things like swiping between screens and modifying settings seem to be snappier. My iPhone feels so much more responsive with iOS 7.1, it's almost like I upgraded the hardware.

I'm using an iPhone 5 (not a 5s), so your experience may be different than mine. From what I've read, iPhone 4 users will notice the biggest improvement (though they were also hit with the biggest slowdown after upgrading to iOS 7.0). Whatever the case, it's great to see Apple's engineers set aside fancy new features for a change and focus on performance.